Germany enjoys a very good reputation in Mali amongst members of the government and the population as a whole. Many people in the country still recall that Germany was the first country to recognise Mali’s independence in 1960.

Also after the coups in 2020 and 2021 and the end of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in which Germany played a major role, Germany is engaged in a variety of ways in Mali with a view to supporting the political transition and opening the way for constitutional order to be restored.

The Federal Government is continuing its civilian support at grassroots level including making available humanitarian assistance to alleviate acute hardship, as well as transitional development assistance to strengthen the resilience of the Mali population. Long-term development cooperation and selected projects in the fields of security and stabilisation are also ongoing.

Bilateral relations also embrace the sphere of cultural exchange. The focus here is on promoting the German language and facilitating further training for Malian students by providing university and professional education scholarships, as well implementing a youth dialogue project. The German Academic Exchange Service has a lector at the University of Bamako.

Bilateral trade between Germany and Mali is relatively insignificant and, despite the bilateral investment protection agreement concluded in 1977, there has thus far been no major German investment in Mali. This is due to the business climate and the modest sales markets for industrial and capital goods in Mali. The country is a signatory of the Samoa Agreement with the European Union concluded on 15 November 2023.